In a sign that Forest City Ratner is serious about beginning construction of the Atlantic Yards arena, despite potential legal challenges, Banker Steel of Lynchburg, VA, has received a $50 million contract for the structural steel for the Barclays Center, according to the News & Advance.

That means an increase in employment by 25%--50 people--at the factory.

Banker Steel has produced steel for several projects in New York, including the World Trade Center monument, a Columbia University building, and Forest City Ratner's East River Plaza big box shopping center.

Less than three months ago, company owner Dan Banker lent his plane to the three -member state Republican ticket, along with Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate, according to the Washington Post.